Ever heard of Zero Waste lifestyle?

Scuba diving, or any other outdoor activity for that matter, should all be about enjoying being in nature and marveling at the beauty of it. Unfortunately trash has become a somewhat integral part of almost any adventure. It seems to be literally flooding our planet. Sadly, only a small percentage of people actually seem to care.

Nevertheless, living a sustainable life doesn’t have to be complicated. The zero waste lifestyle is becoming more and more popular in all parts of the world. The main objective of living a zero waste lifestyle is to reduce the waste produced in your day to day life. Not only will you contribute to making our planet a cleaner place, in the long run practicing a zero waste lifestyle will save you considerable amount of money.If you are interested in trying to live a zero waste lifestyle, it is important for you to have a clear understanding about the 5Rs. In fact, the entire movement has been created based on the 5Rs, which stand for REFUSE – REDUCE – REUSE – RECYCLE – ROT.

1. Refuse anything that you don’t need.

There are people who waste money unnecessarily on things that they don’t really need in a day to day life. If you are such a person, start to ask yourself “Do I really need this plastic staw, extra serving, take away Styrofoam, etc.?” The list could go on and on . Start to mentally filter out what you really need from want you want just because it is convenient, pretty, or because you got bored.

2. Reduce all the stuff that you don’t need.

There are some basic necessities that we need in order to live a healthy life, like a place to live and clothes to wear. But it doesn’t mean that you need to be the owner of the largest house on the block. Also, you don’t need to fill your closet with dozens of clothes. If you can figure out what your basic necessities are and if you can focus only on them, you will be able to adapt to a zero waste lifestyle.

3. Reuse what you are consuming.

When you make it a habit to reuse your stuff, you will not have to purchase new thing all over again. As a result, you will get the opportunity to save both money as well as time. You can also think of donating the stuff that you don’t want to use anymore. Then you are giving them to another family who can put them to good use.

4. Recycle the things that cannot be reused, refused or reduced.

Recycling has received much attention in the recent past. If you can’t refuse, reduce or reuse something, you can at least check whether you can recycle it. Usually most of the products that you use daily can be recycled.

5. Rot the rest.

If you compost or rot the leftovers, you will not have to use any trash bags. Well almost any. Of course not everyone has a garden or a suitable place to create their own compost. But you might know someone who knows someone who is composting. Ask your friends or invite your neighbors to start a community composting program.

As you can see, with a little extra thought and planning anyone can adapt to a zero waste based on the above mentioned 5Rs. If not to all of them, pick at least one or two to begin with. Start to take responsibility for your personal impact on the environment around you then you will be able to make this world a better place to live. Bea Johnson, author of the Zero Waste Home book, declares that since her family started living the zero waste lifestyle, they have reduced their money spending by 40%. That’s actually great news, as with the financial savings from consuming less, you can come enjoy your Bali vacation and visit OK Divers for some wonderful scuba diving in Padangbai.